Three quick-to-MLB pitching prospects

AP Photo/Wade PayneNick Burdi could potentially help a big league club as soon as 2015.

It may be hard to believe now, but there was a time when relief pitchers coming out of college were considered something of a commodity in the MLB Draft. The prevailing wisdom was that relievers wouldn't need much time in the minors before being able to give clubs a return on their investments.

These days, we typically don't see relief pitchers go early in round one -- the highest a pitcher who had no chance to start was drafted in 2013 was Corey Knebel by the Detroit Tigers with the 39th pick -- but there are a few guys that have a chance to be day one selections in 2014, and could be among the quickest players to reach the big leagues if things break their way.

• Louisville right-hander Nick Burdi came into the year as the highest-rated relief prospect for 2014, and he's done nothing to diminish that stock so far.

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Keith Law

Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.